Western Australia’s regional events calendar is in full swing, with the Shinju Matsuri festival in Broome and the Gascoyne Food Festival in Carnarvon offering travellers an authentic taste of the state beyond Perth. Tourism Western Australia is supporting 63 regional events through 2026–27 as part of its push to keep the destination “always on” for visitors year-round.
As more Indian travellers look beyond the usual Australian holiday, Western Australia is emerging as the offbeat, culturally rich alternative they’re searching for. The Shinju Matsuri festival in Broome and the Gascoyne Food Festival in Carnarvon showcase exactly why:
Running until 6 September, Shinju Matsuri (“festival of the pearl”) celebrates Broome’s multicultural pearling legacy, shaped by Japanese, Chinese, Malay, Indonesian, Filipino, European and Aboriginal communities since the 1800s, with sunset beach feasts, cultural performances, camel rides on Cable Beach, and the rare “Staircase to the Moon” lunar phenomenon at Roebuck Bay.
Meanwhile, the Gascoyne Food Festival in Carnarvon runs from August 21 to September 6, inviting food lovers to journey through one of Western Australia’s most extraordinary food regions, where red earth meets turquoise sea. Across 16 days, the festival brings together chefs, growers, fishers, producers, and cultural custodians through a line-up of immersive food and travel experiences, from seafood feasts beneath the stars and long-table dinners among plantations to fireside storytelling, station dining, and hands-on workshops. Spanning Carnarvon, Coral Bay, Exmouth, Bullara and Shark Bay, it’s a celebration of the people, produce, landscapes, and stories that make the Gascoyne unforgettable.
